Actors Watanabe, Minami tie knot

Ken Watanabe, an actor internationally recognized for his roles in Hollywood movies, married actress Kaho Minami on Saturday, their production firms announced Wednesday.

Watanabe, 46, and Minami, 41, said in a statement: “We have both been through tough times, but now we are able to spend a rich, peaceful time together. We want to keep supporting each other and sharing our time together.”

Watanabe divorced his former wife in September, and Minami had parted with her previous husband in 2000. They had starred together in a TV series several years ago.

Watanabe was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 1989 but recovered. He starred in “The Last Samurai” alongside Tom Cruise and was nominated for an Oscar in 2004. People Magazine listed him as one of the “International Men of Sexiness” last month.

He is also starring in the new Hollywood release “Memoirs of a Geisha,” based on Arthur Golden’s 1997 best-selling novel about the life of a fictional geisha, which opens in Japanese theaters Saturday under the title “Sayuri.”

Minami made her silver screen debut in 1984 with her role in “Kayako no tame ni” (“For Kayako”), and currently appears on TV and on stage.